Aug
Giovanni Ribisi’s Cinematography Debut Amid Major Film Franchises
The Longtime Actor’s Transition to Cinematography in the Thriller Strange Darling
While it’s becoming more common for actors to step into the director’s chair, it’s much rarer for a seasoned actor to venture into cinematography. Giovanni Ribisi, a well-known character actor, has accomplished this feat by making his debut as a cinematographer in J.T. Mollner’s twisted thriller Strange Darling. What makes this even more remarkable is that Ribisi took on this new role while simultaneously starring in two major film franchises—James Cameron’s Avatar sequels and Kevin Costner’s Horizon saga.
However, Ribisi’s journey to becoming a cinematographer wasn’t an overnight success. “I’ve been doing cinematography in the background, professionally, for the past 15 years or something like that,” Ribisi shared with Entertainment Weekly. “But it wasn’t really something that I liked to talk about. I wanted to really cut my teeth and pay my dues.”
The collaboration with writer-director Mollner began about six or seven years ago when the two were introduced by a mutual friend. Over time, they exchanged ideas and scripts, but it was the Strange Darling script that truly captivated Ribisi. “J.T. sent [Strange Darling] to me two years ago, and within 15 minutes, I called him up, begging to be part of it,” Ribisi recalled. “The cinematography role evolved from that conversation, and I’m just grateful for the opportunity he gave me.”
Mollner, too, was surprised by Ribisi’s hidden talent. “When I met him, we became friendly, and we liked a lot of the same movies,” Mollner said. “I was eager to cast him in one of my films, but he showed me his passion for cinematography. He took me to his studio, showed me his camera equipment and the footage he had been working on. I was blown away that he hadn’t shot a feature film yet—it was like unmined gold.”
Despite his excitement about the Strange Darling project, Ribisi had a full plate. After the conclusion of his critically acclaimed Amazon Prime series Sneaky Pete in 2019, Ribisi starred in several notable productions, including The Offer, a mini-series about the making of The Godfather, and Avatar: The Way of the Water, where he reprised his role as Parker Selfridge. He also appeared in Showtime’s Waco: The Aftermath and made a brief appearance in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, with his role expected to expand in the upcoming sequels.
The COVID-19 lockdown provided Ribisi and Mollner the perfect window to develop their project. “A lot of the prep was done during COVID-19 when productions were still shut down,” Ribisi explained. “There was definitely a lot of time to dive in with J.T., and it was just one of the better experiences I’ve had professionally.”
Mollner praised Ribisi’s ability to balance multiple projects. “He’s so busy, it blows my mind,” Mollner said. “But despite all the other things he had going on, he always made this project feel like a priority.”
Ribisi’s passion for filmmaking dates back to his childhood, where he grew up on movie sets. “I went to school on movie sets and in the basements of sound stages,” Ribisi recalled. “I was fascinated with the craft, and about 15 years ago, I bought a digital motion picture camera and started shooting my friends. That eventually led to buying more equipment and developing a small studio where I shot music videos and honed my skills.”
Ribisi’s acting career thrived as he worked with some of Hollywood’s greatest directors and cinematographers. He cites Andrew Lesnie, Dante Spinotti, Sal Totino, and Reed Morano as significant inspirations but acknowledges the importance of developing his own style. “At a certain point, you get saturated in experience and try to cultivate your own voice,” Ribisi said. “I aspired to what others were doing, but I wanted to find my own unique voice.”
In Strange Darling, Ribisi’s voice as a cinematographer is unmistakable. Influenced by films like Tony Richardson’s Mademoiselle (1966), Kobayashi’s Harakiri (1962), and Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971), Ribisi combines elements from his heroes to create a unique style that subverts genre expectations within the “final girl”/serial killer trope.
Ribisi’s decades of experience in front of the camera also bring a unique perspective to his work as a cinematographer. Willa Fitzgerald, who stars in Strange Darling, described the experience as having another actor on set. “It was almost like having another scene partner,” Fitzgerald said. “There was something ineffable about that relationship and energy, and it was really cool to have someone like Giovanni on your side in those intense moments.”
Giovanni Ribisi’s journey from actor to cinematographer is a testament to his dedication and passion for the craft. His work in Strange Darling is already earning praise, and it’s clear that his voice as a cinematographer is just beginning to emerge. Catch Ribisi’s unique take on horror-thriller cinematography in Strange Darling, now in theaters.
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